Posts by Swedan Margen
Hilton Als on the Visionary World of Alva Rogers
I met Alva Rogers years ago, through a mutual friend, and her various incarnations—actress, singer, artistic director, writer, puppeteer—have always been remarkable to me. As a young woman, Rogers posed for the artist Lorna Simpson, and is the subject of Simpson’s photograph-based piece “Waterbearer” (1986), along with other early works, and, of course, she was…
Read MoreIndonesia’s wealth fund in talks to aid flagship airline Garuda
[JAKARTA] Garuda is in talks with Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara about an injection of capital, people familiar with the matter said, as the nation’s flagship airline struggles to right its finances. The talks are preliminary and could change, and details regarding the size of the funds transfer are still being worked out, the people…
Read MorePacific International Lines’ FY2024 net profit quadruples to US$1.3 billion
[SINGAPORE] Pacific International Lines (PIL) on Friday (May 16) posted a net profit of US$1.3 billion for the FY2024 ended Dec 31, 2024, more than quadrupling from US$306.9 million the previous year. This was attributed to a significant growth in its operating revenue as well as effective cost management. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and…
Read MoreNo material impact from tariffs on bookings for now: SIA CEO
[SINGAPORE] Singapore Airlines (SIA) has not seen any significant impact of the US tariff turmoil on its bookings for now, chief executive Goh Choon Phong said at its financial results briefing on Friday (May 16). He said: “At this point in time, based on what we can see in bookings, we do not see any…
Read MoreForeigners revisit Indonesia stocks on easing economic concerns
Published Fri, May 16, 2025 · 01:41 PM [JAKARTA] Indonesian stocks are poised for their first monthly inflow since September as subsiding economic concerns and attractive banking shares lure investors. The country’s equity market posted US$83.8 million in net foreign inflows as at May 15 after seven straight months of outflows. That comes as the…
Read MoreDovish Bank of Japan policymaker urges pause in rate hikes on US tariff uncertainty
[TOKYO] The Bank of Japan must hold off raising interest rates for the time being, its board member Toyoaki Nakamura said on Friday, warning of growing downward pressure on the economy from higher US tariffs. Nakamura, known as the most dovish member of the board, said the central bank must guide monetary policy “cautiously” with…
Read MoreLNG traders look to increase exports to Malaysia, Indonesia
Traders are looking to capitalise on the strong domestic growth in the two emerging nations Published Fri, May 16, 2025 · 12:38 PM [SINGAPORE] Liquefied natural gas (LNG) traders are looking to sell more of the fuel to traditional exporters in South-east Asia that are being forced to turn to imports to meet surging energy…
Read MoreAs US, China reach a trade truce, these are the stocks to buy or avoid
[SINGAPORE] Markets have experienced wild swings since US President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on the country’s trading partners. Globally, US and other major markets have sold off with investors piling back into stocks again as Trump makes decisions to slap fresh additional tariffs, and delay tariffs. In the latest, markets have rallied since the US…
Read MoreMalaysia committed to 2025 petrol subsidy cut but no fixed date
[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia is committed to reducing petrol subsidies in the second half of the year and is refining its plan as US tariffs darken the economic outlook. The government “will continue to assess inputs and feedback in refining details” of its fuel subsidy revamp as it actively engages with a wide range of stakeholders,…
Read MoreByteDance aims to match Meta sales in 2025 as TikTok gains steam
Its flagship Chinese video platform Douyin is grappling with waning consumption and advertising spending across the world’s second-largest economy Published Fri, May 16, 2025 · 11:10 AM [HONG KONG] ByteDance is targeting revenue growth of about 20 per cent in 2025 despite a potential global economic downturn, a pace of expansion that could help it…
Read MoreMeta asks judge to rule that FTC failed to prove its monopoly case
FACEBOOK parent company Meta Platforms asked a federal judge on Thursday to throw out the US Federal Trade Commission’s case accusing it of an illegal social media monopoly, saying the agency failed to prove its case at a high-stakes antitrust trial. At the trial, which began on April 14 in Washington, the FTC has sought to show…
Read MoreHarvey Norman operator Ossia surges over 40% following privatisation offer from controlling shareholders
The offerors say the company faces a challenging environment in Singapore and abroad [SINGAPORE] Shares of Ossia jumped more than 40 per cent on Friday (May 16), after group executive chairman George Goh Ching Wah, chief executive Goh Ching Huat and non-executive director Goh Ching Lai made an unconditional offer on Thursday to take the…
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